Let's shine a spotlight on Mary Bennet

[@sapphiregamgee4773]

The 1995 P&P is peak Jane Austen adaptation. Nothing else has ever come close.

[@TudorSmith]

I agree. It’s the definitive version in my opinion 👍

[@ellie698]

Agree. It's not perfect but it's the best version I've ever seen and I have lost count of how many times I've watched it. At *least* once every year😊

[@Erixdel]

I agree! This summer I went to many of the sites where it was filmed and now have a new appreciation for it. It’s truly a masterpiece!

[@TudorSmith]

I’ve done some of the sites in one of my location videos. It’s great being able to visit the locations and kind of relive the scenes 👍

[@shirleygoss1988]

I like the 1995, but my favorite remains the 1980 version from BBC.

[@HeyCuteEarrings]

I always wonder if Mary is the way she is because she grew up seeing her older sisters being praised and favored by her father and hoped maybe if she enjoyed books and more intellectual pursuits that he might notice her.

[@TudorSmith]

It’s an interesting supposition. Mr. Bennet is shown reading a lot so you could see why Mary might think it a good direction to go in.

[@rosiebowers1671]

As a former plain, bookish, socially awkward teenager (who grew up into a plain, socially awkward, unfortunately-not-so-bookish adult), I find that both Austen and the successive movie adaptations have done the character dirty. She deserved a storyline, and she definitely deserved more appreciation. And no, she wouldn't have been a good match for Collins; Collins just wants to hear himself talk and is not interested in any discussion. He'd have shunned her even more harshly than her family does.

[@joerudnik9290]

Charlotte Lucas has enough maturity, stamina and competence that she can ‘manage’ Mr. Collins. She doesn’t fight his delusions of grandeur, she works around them. She knows 😉the kind of man she married.

[@michaelodonnell824]

I think the video omits a key element of Mary, one that, in my opinion shapes her character far more than any other - put simply, Mary is not anywhere near as pretty as ANY of her sisters. Put that together with the fact that she is the Middle sister in a family of five sisters, that leaves Mary as somewhat of a loner by lack of a natural companion; Jane and Elisabeth are always together and Kitty and Lydia are a duo, but Mary is (virtually) ignored by both pairings. While we only see the Sisters with Jane the twenty-one year old and Lydia as fifteen, it is quite possible that Mary has, for most of her life, felt excluded by both her Elder and Younger sisters and developed her "love of learning and music" as a defence mechanism. Indeed, Austen almost suggests that this is the case because Mary only begins to "Blossom" after her elder and youngest sisters have left the family home and Mrs Bennett, finally, begins to notice Mary...

[@wednesdayschild3627]

I thought there were hints Mary married Mr. Gardner's law partner.

[@Reba-123]

In the Memoir of Jane Austin, can’t remember who wrote it … but it did say that Mary married one of her uncles clerks

[@jackieyamada4702]

I think that without her sisters around to overshadow her, Mary had the chance to blossom a little, and come into her own. She did this very thing in The Other Miss Bennett

[@TudorSmith]

Whether she eventually finds personal growth or marriage is left to the imagination of readers and later interpretations of the story which I think is one of the beauties of the story. Jane Austen doesn't provide any explicit suggestion that Mary Bennet blossomed or married after her sisters’ marriages so her character remains open to interpretation. I'm with you on this one though. I think without here older sisters and Lydia around, Mary would have more than likely stepped into their shoes (maybe reluctantly) when it came to social events.

[@silvanaorizi5643]

The 1995 is the best version of pride and prejudice 🌞

[@TudorSmith]

It’s certainly stood the test of time 👍

[@vikiirnawenzel1722]

I think it helps to reflect that Jane Austen said that Mary threw herself into her studies and her music as a result of being seen as less pretty than her sisters. Their society (and especially their mother!) having impressed them all with the need to be attractive and marketable as wives, Mary felt the urgency of polishing her accomplishments in lieu of beauty. So the root of her scholarliness is rather shallow. Though it seems that Mary does try to live by the principles she reads, I think perhaps Austen wished to show the limits and liabilities of study for vanity's sake.

[@TudorSmith]

Yes that’s interesting.

[@SueProv]

Mary's character in the 1995 version did make me think, at first she would have been a good match for Mr. Collins. However, I think she would have been really bullied and down trodden by him. Charlotte knew how to control their situation. She ignored his tantrum when Lady Catherine came to their home, I think Mary wasn't strong enough and he would become tyrannical.

[@g2682]

So true!!

[@karenm2669]

That’s a great insight.

[@shannen7917]

With regards to Mary and Mr Collins, I theorize that Austen intentionally did not pair them in order to illustrate just how ridiculous and supercilious Mr Collins was. Mary would be a clear choice for him when you take into account personality and everything, but she is not one of the popular sisters. Mr Collins is far too focused on appearance and has delusions of grandeur that lead him to “punch above his weight class” so to speak. I believe that Charlotte becomes an appealing option B to him because of her father (and because she makes herself available). The 1995 film makes it clear that Mary would have probably accepted him, but he never even gave her any consideration because he was too vain and pompous to reduce himself to the least of the Bennet sisters. I suspect there’s also something to the idea that he saw in Mary some of his same characteristics and didn’t care for them. He himself is a man of the cloth, yet overlooks the one pious female of his acquaintance, much like how he chooses playing games and dancing over study and reflection. Mary Bennet is such a fascinating character to explore

[@debbieann921]

That is a very insightful observation of yours to notice that Mary was the more religious of her family just like Mr Collins. One would think that surely Mr Collins would have been drawn to this but was such a shallow petty clueless man that he thought he was entitled to a more physically attractive partner rather than one he had more in common with. Having said that, would anyone wish poor Mary on such a man.

[@tropicalgardenvlogs]

My feeling is Mr. Colin’s recognised in Mary her absurd qualities but couldn’t see those same personality traits in himself. So Mary for him was never on the radar. But imagine Mary thought he was pretty spunky. I think Austen recognised that putting them together would be unsatisfying and reduce them to one dimensional caricatures. I think of Alice Tinker and Hugo Horton in the television show The Vicar of Dibley as an example. Having that ridiculous Colin’s married to the sensible Charlotte Lucas is a far more interesting dynamic!

[@nitka711]

I don‘t know. I always felt Colins just wanted a „pretty“ wife. I don‘t think he even took real notice of Mary

[@katiem9923]

Not to mention, it would have completely solved the family's problem with the estate! Sure, we'd probably still be interested in the other romances, but part of what makes P&P interesting is the real pressure the sisters had to marry well

[@Irulan10]

As for Mary being overlooked, at least in the 1995 adaptation, I personnally find Kitty to be the "transparent" sister, as she appears as a mere clone of Lydia. Mary has a very strong personality, ideas of her own, and Lucy Briers steals every scene she's in.

[@rowanaforrest9792]

Yes, Kitty really seemed like the overlooked sister. After Lydia left, poor Kitty was out from under Lydia's loud and often obnoxious shadow but felt lost at sea. Mary always got attention, just usually not for desirable reasons.

[@kkitao217]

I agree that Mary and Mr. Collins might have seemed superficially compatible, but both of them are lucky that Jane Austen did not go in that direction. The marriage between Charlotte and Mr. Collins was successful, to the extent that it was, because Charlotte was able to accept Mr. Collins and didn’t try to improve him. In contrast, there is a line in the book where we are told that Mary might’ve been prevailed upon to marry Mr. Collins, but it also says that she is thinking about how he might improve under her guidance. That never would have worked, and it ultimately would have made for a miserable life together.

[@anjajohansen4607]

Could it be that Austen created Mary as a kind of self-mockery, a satirical self-deprecation as the bookinsh girl interested in cultural persuits.

[@foreignparticle1320]

Hearing commentators praise the 1995 adaptation above all others gives me an emotional sensation similar to what I imagine a cat feels when being petted. It's so very agreeable.

[@TheWorldisQuietHere3]

I see what you did there...

[@katesam647]

Poor Mary, the stereotypically unseen middle child. If only her mother had seen the likeness, she’d have recommended her to Mr. Collins instead of Elizabeth

[@cherylbrooks7005]

Mary is unforgettable in the 1995 version!

[@dawnkindnesscountsmost5991]

10:40 There is a brief mention in chapter 22, of Mrs. Bennett thinking that Mary might be prevailed upon to take Mr. Collins, after Mr. Collins takes his leave from Longbourn, but before the Bennetts’ learn of Mr. Collins’ and Charlotte’s engagement. “Mrs. Bennet wished to understand by it [Mr. Collins saying that he hopes to visit to Longbourn again soon] that he thought of paying his addresses to one of her younger girls, and Mary might have been prevailed on to accept him. She rated his abilities much higher than any of the others; there was a solidity in his reflections which often struck her, and though by no means so clever as herself, she thought that if encouraged to read and improve himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very agreeable companion.” It seems Mary would have expected Mr. Collins to learn from her superior example, but, in my opinion, there’s 0.00001% chance that Mr. Collins would even consider such a notion of his own inferiority to someone not related to Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Charlotte is clever enough to encourage and guide him as much as she can for her own gain/peace of mind (such as Mr. Collins’ preferred study vs. Charlotte’s preferred study, as discussed with Lizzie during her visit); Mary doesn’t strike me as having a similar knack.

[@pollyparrot9447]

'Superficial displays of learning over genuine wit and understanding'. A perfect summary of Mary Bennet's character. I don't understand the modern fashion for calling Mary 'neurodiverse' or otherwise excusing her foolish behaviour when she is clearly a caricature of bluestocking pretentiousness.

[@Didleeios88]

I agree with this comment. Mary is not portrayed as neurodiverse. She is portrayed as stupid and pretentious. I think Austen was too harsh on her. Her character couldn't have been more than 18 years old.

[@rebeccag8589]

I always felt like Lydia and Kitty are one extreme, and Mary is the other. This makes Elizabeth and Jane, our primary and secondary protagonists, the most relatable and sympathetic, as their personalities fall somewhere in between these two extremes (at least to me).

[@Ru136]

Ellie Dashwood has a wonderful video on this very topic (it's named something like The Importance of Mary Bennet). She makes this very point about how without Mary in the story as a foil to the two youngest's rowdiness, Elizabeth and Jane would seem too proper and dull to the reader

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

Jane the good hearted soul that gets the boot from the Bingle sisters and Mr. Darcy though Mr. Darcy does it because he thinks her indifferent to his friend. Elizabeth is the one the whole book revolves around. Kitty is a camp follower of her younger sister, totally dominated. Lydia should of been sent packing to an Anglican nunnery, whereas Mary was overlooked by everyone being the least attractive.

[@Cat_Woods]

Much as I feel for Charlotte -- and for Mary -- for their rather bleak fates in that society, Mary and Mr. Collins would have made each other even more insufferable and foolish. At least Charlotte was able to mitigate Collins at his worst. She brought some sense to the circus around Lady Catherine.

[@alelvi123]

Concerning the scowling of Lizzie when Darcy and Bingley came to call near the end - i thought she was worried because her mom was being so rude to Darcy that she was watching his reaction mortified and worried.

[@TudorSmith]

Yes that’s quite likely actually.

[@clarestollery2503]

I agree that Mary and Mr. Collins would have made a perfect match based on compatability, but it seems that Mr. Collins is somewhat indifferent to her. It makes me wonder that he found himself somewhat mirrored in her, and thus was turned off by being confronted by his own awkward traits reflected in Mary.

[@TudorSmith]

It’s an interesting observation. Obviously Jane Austen had no plans to create a union between Mary & Mr. Collins but it does leave the speculation open to us. But there’s that thing about opposites attracting. And if that is the case we might suppose that Mr. Collins would have seen Mary as his equal?

[@vikiirnawenzel1722]

Also, a marriage between Mary and Mr. Collins could likely have exacerbated the faults of each. It's less romantic but much better for Mr. Collins to live a life guided by Charlotte.

[@ldcraig2006]

I've often thought that Mary Bennet exhibited all the classic symptoms of "middle-child syndrome": the fervent desire to do something -- anything -- noteworthy, and to be recognized for her contributions on her own merit. The fact that she is socially awkward is, perhaps, an indication that she "came out" too soon with her elder sisters, and perhaps needed more time at home to cultivate her own identity before being thrust into society (though I do understand *why* the Bennets chose to bring all their daughters out at once; it was a financial necessity). And while you could argue that Mary certainly made a play for Mr. Collins' attention (she *had* to have known Lizzie wasn't interested), I doubt they would have made a good match, because Mr. Collins was far too shallow. You can clearly see upon his arrival to Longbourne that he set his sights on Jane, but was told she was essentially spoken for (at least, in Mrs. Bennet's mind she was). If Mrs. Bennet had also told him Lizzie was spoken for, he might have then moved his attention towards Mary (Kitty and Lydia clearly being far too young and frivolous in his mind to even consider). It seems to me -- at least, in the 1995 adaptation, and to some degree even in the book -- that Mr. Collins intended to follow the advice of Lady Catherine DeBurgh, but he also wished to have a beautiful, trophy wife, and both Jane and Lizzie would have accomplished that for him quite nicely. We are given to understand that Mary Bennet was always considered "not as beautiful" as her elder sisters, and certainly not as charismatic as her youngest sister, Lydia. Mary could never have attracted Mr. Collins enough in that way for him to want to marry her, because of his own pompous vanity.

[@marilynsobel7414]

I agree; he wanted an attractive wife. Charlotte is mentioned as not attractive, but she was kind, attentive and interested after his ego suffered a terrible blow. Maybe he was also afraid to report back to Lady Catherine as a failure.

[@Rhianalanthula]

I remember watching an interview where Lucy said she exaggerated her piano skills, got the audition, and thought she'd bombed it because she can't play that well. Turns out, casting thought Lucy was playing bad on purpose, and it was what they actually wanted.

[@TudorSmith]

Oh yeah I’ve seen that interview too. Funny how it turned out. Maybe production assumed Lucy was that good and actress to be playing the piano badly 🤣

[@marilynsobel7414]

@@TudorSmith In that same interview she mentioned she didn't know about the howling dog juxtaposed with her singing and thought that was rather a low blow.

[@debbieann921]

@@marilynsobel7414 Really? That is gorgeous.

[@mmw55122]

I only ever refetence the 1995 production as it was the best (in my opinion.) I do not think Mary would have been a match for Mr Collins. Mary would have insisted on speaking and moralizing when she thought she should--no matter who was there or what the conversation was about. This would (at minimum) take away from Mr C's spotlight, which he would not have liked at all. AND if said speeches wete conducted in front of Lady DeB...oh dear... So i think that Charlotte was the best match for Mr C. She skillfully manipulates him to get him out of the way so she can live her best life...

[@debbieann921]

and with any luck Mr Collins would eventually fall off the perch and Charlotte could have a comfortable and secure Mr Collins-free life.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

Yes agree about 1995, but I think the other versions I have seen have added to the appreciation of Pride and Prejudice.

[@marjorii]

I think that Charlotte was a perfect match for Mr Collins because she was brought up by a father who was quite similar to him, and therefore she had a “proper education” to be Mr Collins’ wife. Charlotte makes him, a silly husband, more respectable than Mary Bennet could ever have because she would’ve looked up to him whereas Charlotte curtails his excesses. And that’s a good balance for their children, or at least, it’s better than being parented by Mr Collins and Mary. Although it does seem a bit hard that Charlotte isn’t likely to find much personal happiness in this arrangement. But it’s a very beneficial for people around her. And then again, it was mentioned in the novel that she didn’t aspire to a marriage of companionship but considered it as a security against financial hardships etc. I often wonder what a nightmare it was for women of that time to be in financially challenging situations and dread the future and poverty. In such circumstances even a man like Mr Collins could’ve been some woman’s hero.

[@TudorSmith]

Oh yes it’s absolutely a reflection of the times regarding securing a future. Charlotte secured hers and as you pointed out it was a benefit not only to both of them but also the others in their wider circle.

[@michaelodonnell824]

Personally, while I understand Charlotte's motivations (good match, not "vicious", Charlotte not being a Romantic; and Charlotte feeling that she was "getting on" a bit), I always feel as though Mary was the more "Proper" match for Mr Collins and as a Vicar's wife. She shared Collins's "Theological" viewpoint and was the only person NOT to find Collins absurd. Even Charlotte admits as much to Elisabeth, both before her marriage and in the "arrangements" she makes to ensure that she spends as little time in his company as humanly possible. On the other hand, I do not think that Sir William Lucas is anywhere near as "Silly" as Collins. Sir William seems a genuinely ""nice" person whose single fault is that he has let his reception at St James's Palace go to his head (the Bingley sisters' attitude to him is more a reflection of their self perception as being "above" him when, in reality, as daughters of a "Man of Trade", they actually are on EXACTLY the same level as him (though Mrs Hurst MIGHT now, because of marriage, be part of the "Landed Gentry" like the Bennets and the Darcys))...

[@archervine8064]

@@michaelodonnell824 I think Mary and Collins might have been a more harmonious pair, but by that same token I think they would strengthen each other’s less than ideal qualities. Charlotte brings in practicality and social graces Mary lacks, and would be needed in a vicar’s wife. I can’t see Mary keeping up on who’s sick, who lost a job, etc and providing effective comfort and support. Could she learn to? Perhaps, but not from Collins.

[@katalinelo8011]

I think Charlotte would find her personal happiness in being a mother. I imagine her as a hand-on practical parent, being very present in her children's life. Mostly because of course their income (and the size of their house) wouldn't't allow her to hire an in-house help. And of course being with the children would give her even more reason to avoid her husband during most of the day.

[@Bluetree0502]

@@TudorSmithIt always felt odd to me that Elizabeth accepted Charlotte back into her life after her marriage to Mr. Collins. While I understand that it was normal for women to find themselves a future in marriage in those times, I don’t think I would handle it so well if my BFF is going to take over my childhood home. Mrs. Bennett made a comment about the Collinses turning them out, not sure if it was meant to represent her feelings alone, or those of her family.

[@Didleeios88]

Mary's and Mr. Collins' compatibility is what adds to the literary foil! The theme of the book is "what should one marry for?". Mr. Collins character explores marrying for the purpose of sucking up to a patron. The fact that there was a perfectly compatible personality in front of him whom he completely ignores is part of the plot.

[@Nightheartchan]

i always sympathised and felt sorry for mary. in the middle, she doesnt fit in with either sister pair, and shes not close with either of her parents, and she compesates for this relative emotional isolation in her family by trying to become a model woman of the tome, but at the time there were many sermonizing books that purported to instruct young women in deportment that were all written mostly by morally paniked churchmen. poor girl didnt have a chance.

[@TudorSmith]

Yes poor Mary is the odd one out and left to her solitude most of the time. It’s interesting how Jane Austen included Mary as a character - I guess to juxtapose all the extremes of the family dynamics?

[@Jasminis]

If you haven't read it 'The other Bennett Sister by Janice Hadlow' is all about Mary and her struggles.

[@TudorSmith]

That’s got to be worth checking out 👍

[@judithstrachan9399]

A lot of commenters seem to be recommending it.

[@susanmercurio1060]

I felt sorry for Mary, in the 1995 BBC adaptation, when she was trying to attract Mr Collins and he wasn't noticing her.

[@debbieann921]

In the 1995 version I noticed how much happier Mary seemed after her sister, Lydia, had eloped. She was smiling and more talkative even though the rest of her family were mortified and deeply worried by Lydia's behaviour. Without Lydia's overbearing attention seeking presence, she would probably be more inclined to interact with her family and others and in doing so come out of her shell.

[@TudorSmith]

It’s interesting isn’t it to see Mary’s character development.

[@debbieann921]

@@TudorSmith I just finished watching the 1980s version of Pride and Prejudice on Daily Motion. I was quite disappointed as I expected, from some of the comments, to be a far better adaptation than it was. The 1995 version has far better actors and certainly far better casting. In the 1980 version the actors that played Lydia and Mrs Bennet were extremely irritating with high pitched voices that pierced the ears. Unlike the 1995 characters of Mrs Bennet and Lydia who were undoubtedly a highly scatter-brained pair but whom also entertained me and made me laugh, so skilful were their performances. I also found the 1980 version was less faithful to the book than 1995 version which I thought was pretty close to almost 100% faithful.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

If you had a sister like Lydia, you would read a book, or go for long walks or practice the piano just to block Lydia out.

[@pollyparrot9447]

She was happy about Lydia's disgrace because it gave her the opportunity to regurgitate the moralistic platitudes she memorised from her dreary choice of reading material 😄

[@TudorSmith]

I struggled to watch it too but probably because I kept comparing it to the 1995 version.

[@clairelariviere3122]

I enjoy your videos in this collection! I simply cannot watch any film adaptations because I love the 1995 BBC version so much! It’s sublime perfection in my opinion

[@briteddy9759]

I feel for Mary. She is probably the most neglected of the sisters. Mr. Bennet is a failure as a husband and as a father. He does fine by the two oldest, but ignores the three youngest. He mocks both his wife and the younger kids. There is nothing wrong with intellectual interest, but Mary gets little, if any, encouragement or guidance. Mr. Bennett retreats to his library to read. What if he tried to share that interest with Mary. What a difference it would have made! Now, that would not have worked well with the story line, but that is a different issue.

[@TheWanderingFire]

I always thought Mary would have been the best match among the Bennett sisters, but I got the impression (mainly from the 1995 tv movie) that having been encouraged to pursue Lizzie and then rejected by the same, he chose Charlotte out of mild spite, not wanting to "settle" for one of the younger sisters. He actually lucked out, as Charlotte helps deflect some of his worst behaviors.

[@kkitao217]

I hope you’ll do more of these commentaries on characters from Pride and Prejudice.

[@raraavis7782]

I think you're spot on with your analysis of placing the character within the time period and Austen's own lived experience. It's something I love about these book. They're not just entertaining, but offer such fascinating little glimpses into society back then. I'm firmly team Charlotte, when it comes to Mr. Collins, btw. Mary and Mr. Collins would have brought our the worst in each other. Charlotte was sensible and good naturated and socially adept enough, to make up for his deficiencies. And she got a respectable husband, a nice home and children of her own in return. That's not something to scoff at, in those times. Or even today, maybe.

[@TudorSmith]

Oh that’s interesting that you say Mr Collins and Mary bringing the worst out in each other. Jane Austen could have written in the match but she probably had all the character analysis in place for the narrative. Charlotte by her own admission to Lizzy was that she was not romantic and so she was a good match for Collins and for her future. Thanks for your comment 🙏

[@ellie698]

Completely agree. They're too similar and would absolutely have brought out the worst in each other Together, they would be completely insufferable!!! Charlotte Lucas was the best thing that could possibly have happened to Mr Collins!

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@ellie698sadly, I suspect he was also the best she could do, too. Poor Charlotte. At least she was aware & managed to make the best of what she got.

[@michaellemos6053]

I just discovered you and your analysis is spot on! What do you think of mr. Bennet as a father? His callousness to his wife’s and daughter’s future lowers him plus his indifference to actually “raising” his children. But he’s fun to watch.

[@debbieann921]

I see Mr Bennet as an indolent parent and a pot stirrer. He loved to watch the expressions of horror on people's faces when his wife or children spoke or acted unguardedly and inappropriately in society.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

He put a lot of effort in his first two children, but after losing interest in his wife, and having no son, he found solace hiding in his study.

[@victoriablackwell833]

Thank you for this interesting delve into Mary Bennet. If Mary had married Mr. Collins, I doubt Elizabeth would have visited those two, and thus not been thrown back into Mr. Darcy's life. End of book!

[@TudorSmith]

Yes that’s an interesting speculation.

[@victoriablackwell833]

Thanks.Elizabeth only visited Hunsford because she promised Charlotte she would before Charlotte left after the 0:40 nuptials. Elizabeth had to go, even though she didn't want to see Collins and was upset that Charlotte would sink to marrying him. Then, there's Charlotte saying Darcy was only coming to Hunsford because Elizabeth was there. Several key incidents occur with Elizabeth's visit that transform the narrative! I so love this book and the complex characters on all levels. Thanks again for delving into it.

[@marilynsobel7414]

Austen is deeply concerned with the financial considerations attendant upon courtship and marriage. Nowhere is this better displayed than in her portrait of Charlotte. Elizabeth is absolutely appalled at what she sees as her lack of integrity, marrying someone she could not possibly love, not even a little. However, Austen does an excellent job of showing all the pressure to marry that Charlotte endures If she does not marry Mr. Collins, will she ever have another chance? As someone unattractive, not wealthy, and getting older, probably not. Also, just as Elizabeth does not seem to fit happily into her family, Charlotte probably does not enjoy time with her family. The prospect of living with them as an old maid for forty more years would be depressing. Like many intelligent people, Charlotte longs for independence and a chance to live life more on her terms. I doubt most of us would want a marriage like Charlotte's, but she manages to find happiness in material comforts and solitude -- and hopefully motherhood gives her joy. Perhaps because Mary is so similar to Mr. Collins it would not have seemed so sad that she "had" to marry him. We all know Charlotte deserves better than Mr. Collins.

[@HuntingViolets]

I wonder. Mary is her sister, after all. She might want to visit her. Maybe not often.

[@outsideofenough6466]

I agree that having Charlotte marry Mr Collins was also a plot point and Lizzie’s promise to visit was the reason she went. It was how Austen placed Lizzie with Mr Darcy again. She did it again by having Mr Gardiner having to cut their Lake visit short and just focus on Derbyshire. I think Austen was very clever in throwing them together by bringing up these little details earlier in the novel so it would t appear to be so contrived.

[@MrsLauraD]

Mr. Bennet lumps Mary in with Kittie and Lydia as "silly". He also states that with Jane and Elizabeth gone he'll have no intelligent conversation in the house. So, for all her book study and piousness, Mary is still "silly". I suspect that Mr. Bennet's definition of "silly" is "insufferable". I believe there are several reasons why Mr. Collins never considered Mary for marriage. Mr. Collins self-importance would never have settled for one of the less-pretty sisters. He also wanted to impress Lady Catherine, Mary was in no way impressive. While he was constantly moralizing, Mr. Collins wanted to become more socially adept by trying his hand at cards and dancing. At that point in her development, Mary would probably refuse both. Additionally, Mr. Collins wasn't planning on being a clergyman all his life. He knew he would inherit Longbourn and probably doubted that Mary would be much use in social climbing.

[@NightOwl701]

I think Mr Bennett saw her as far too serious.

[@TheWorldisQuietHere3]

Poor Mary, I really love her character in the show. It took me a few watches to notice all the little nudges she gave Mr. Collins (fixing her hair, asking him inside to discuss the bible, looking him over with a smile). Mr. Collins should have married mary because then the Bennetts also would have kept their estate.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

I consider that the directors direction to Ms Briers.

[@joerudnik9290]

Mary clearly loved music as well as books. She enjoyed performing for small gatherings. However, Mary was not much for desiring status or concern with male appearance.🙂

[@babujai1]

You might like the book "The Other Bennet Sister" by Janice Hadlow.

[@TudorSmith]

Thanks for the tip 🙏

[@kristiekarpati9025]

Mary has always been a personal favorite, probably because I see my own social awkwardness in her. As I remember, at the end of the book she was forced into more social interaction because she was the only daughter left at home and that she felt less inferior without the direct comparison to her sisters. My own hope was that these circumstances along with her studies would have rounded out her personality and improved her overall.

[@debbieann921]

I think somewhere in the book it stated that Mrs Bennet started to take more notice of Mary with only Kitty left.

[@BlueJay6441]

Great analysis, thank you. I agree that the '95 version is hands-down the best, no contest

[@dorothywillis1]

I do not think Mary had any genuine interest in intellectual pursuits or her music. She was the middle child. Her older sisters were their father's favorites, the younger sisters were their mother's, and Mary was left out. As she was not pretty, there was no way she could join the Mama-Kitty-Lydia team, so I see her music and reading as a pathetic attempt to please her father and her older sisters. She and Mr. Collins might have managed to get along if they had married, but Mr. C. will be much happier with Charlotte and Mary will be very happy shining as a star in Meryton when she is married to her uncle's clerk.

[@outsideofenough6466]

Agreed. In the finale of the book Austen writes, ‘Mary was obliged to mix more with the world, but she could still moralize over every morning visit; and as she was no longer mortified by comparisons between her sisters’ beauty and her own…’ not only was Mary ignored, I could see Mrs Bennet comparing her to her sisters, and telling her how plain she was frequently. Accomplishments and knowledge were her only ways to set her self apart and obtain recognition. It is pathetic, but I’m glad Austen wrote that letter about pairing Mary off with a clerk! I like to think she blossomed from her husband’s love and respect.

[@silentautisticdragon-kp9sw]

I personally believe that Elizabeth was Jane Austen's Mary Sue and Mary was Jane Austen's real self insert. Elizabeth was like Jane Austen plus everything she wished she was, and got what Jane wished she had but most certainly could never hope for. Mary, on the other hand, was Jane putting her real self into the book, and poking a bit of fun at herself as a sort of inside joke between her and the novel. Mary gets literally nothing in the book, not even Mr. Collins, so perhaps this is Jane Austen depicting her reality, as she never married.

[@TudorSmith]

Yes I’m pretty sure Jane Austen would have included some of her own traits into her characters.

[@canopusstar5157]

Oh dear, looking at the book & its characters from this Point of view, I fear I would have been a ‘Mary’ in those times.

[@Mary-cz5nl]

And me

[@rodentary]

I like the 2005 p&p personally, but for Mary, i like Bride and Prejudice. In an extended song it shows what she aims for and also updates the characters

[@Ru136]

But Bride and Prejudice didn't have Mary or Kitty?

[@alyceameliahopkins3907]

I always thought if only Mr Collins had favoured Mary, Mrs Bennetts nerves would have been saved!! I really enjoyed this video! Thanks Tudor!

[@TudorSmith]

Aw poor Mrs Bennet’s nerves. They been Mr Bennet’s companion for years 🤣

[@wanna-be-thinker2377]

A bit off topic, but I notice that (as shown with the "Mary Montage" that started at 14:32) Mary in the first 3 versions has her wearing glasses, to shown her "bookish" nature, though less so in the 3 version. Meanwhile, the last version does away with this altogether.

[@TudorSmith]

It’s a bit of a stereotype isn’t it?

[@wanna-be-thinker2377]

@@TudorSmith It is.

[@alidabaxter5849]

Mary is a real outcast among the sisters, because she's unlike any of them. For instance, Elizabeth plays the piano well enough to charm others, but is the first to confess that she scampers over the difficult bits, etc. The two youngest appear to have no interest in learning anything at all, but encourage Mary to play something they can dance to. Mary seems totally unaware that she really isn't a very good pianist at all, and in both the 1940 film and the brilliant 1995 TV version we see her father going to stop her playing "so that others may have a chance to exhibit" (a tactless way of handling the situation). The 1940 film (though so wrong in practically everything) has a Mary who is actually rather pretty, but wears glasses, played by Marsha Hunt. Apparently her mannerisms were so funny in the role that the Director encouraged her, enraging Mary Boland who played her mother and wanted all attention on her. Mary seems actually to be like Mr. Collins, in that she's blind to her own failings and, for instance, wants to go on playing the piano in company, no matter how badly, in order to get some attention, never considering she isn't good enough. With the two eldest girls really beautiful and the two younger pretty idiots, even if she's the plainest it's surely unlikely that she'd be really awfully plain. She's simply the one who gets overlooked all the time - bookish, puritanical and a bit of a pain in the neck. Seeing her sisters being courted probably makes matters far worse, so she'd be the first to condemn Lydia and to take a high moral tone. Marrying a curate would be the right choice for her, but Mr. Collins' self importance would never have been satisfied with a wife lacking both a good dowry and excellent looks.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

Mary is just the least prettiest of the sisters, it doesn't mean she is Ugly Betty.

[@heidifogelberg3544]

I believe that Mr Collins' proposal to Lizzie was really very simple. He went to Longbourne to marry a daughter of the house, and he did the proper, conservative, appropriate, expected thing - he looked first at the eldest daughter. Yeah, he may have felt perky about it, but Mrs Bennet told him Jane was about to become engaged, and he didn't blink twice before he did - once again - the socially expected thing (which Lady Catherine would for sure have expected, and which his conformist little soul no doubt chimed with completely), and he shifted his focus to the next oldest girl. At that time, the oldest unmarried girl was usually the only one in social evidence - unless she'd been out long enough for the family's finances and her reasonable expectations to expire and put her next sister into prominence. At that point, the older would shift at least a bit into the background, generally. Eventually, fewer new clothes and even, in due course, caps and such fashion cues as a status marker for spinsterhood might come into play. Mr Collins was just following the social playbook, rigidly conforming to expectations. It's interesting to wonder if Austen wrote Mary and Mr Collins as such an obvious match, then ignored it with complete deliberation. The Georgians were beginning to toy with the concept of spousal compatibility, but it was no more widely accepted than reading novels in public - and probably less. Marriage was very serious, and it was rooted in business and financial viability. Considerations like social status, financial advantage, beneficial family relationships - all of that mattered deeply. We get married today - in theory - for compatibility. Georgians didn't, by and large. They got married to maintain social and financial standing, and personal preferences or individual compatibility - that just got in the way. Austen may well have been making that point with Mary & Mr Collins - the couple that never was.

[@Jess_Connell]

You left out mentioning the absurd snake-dancing Mary in Bollywood’s Bride and Prejudice. 😂❤😅

[@TudorSmith]

I haven’t seen it so I was unaware of the snake dancing 🤣

[@dragonflydreamingorganics]

@@TudorSmith oh you MUST watch it!

[@5apph1b1u3]

Warning: may require a strong adult beverage (or two) to make it through that one😂

[@SuperSherry1957]

Loved this version. A delight

[@erinharkiewicz7239]

@@TudorSmith Watch it. Today if possible. Utterly adorable and surprisingly faithful in feel and tone

[@liseboyd1014]

I too have always thought that Mary and Mr Collins would have been a good match, but now I’m not so sure. They are far too similar. They would have fed their own and each others worst attributes. Neither personality would have improved if matched. What do you think?

[@TudorSmith]

Yeah the more I read people’s comments (and it’s great reading what others share), it’s becoming obvious to me that Mary saw herself as superior to Collins and as such that wouldn’t have made them equal in a relationship. It’s probably why Jane Austen didn’t write the match to happen in the book.

[@cathipalmer8217]

Absolutely. They would have brought out the worst in each other, and Mary did *not* have the practical education to run a parson's household.

[@readMEinkbooks]

Lost In Austen, and Austenland are great. P&P&Zombies I found very gruesome.

[@vbrown6445]

I believe Mary would have definitely been willing to marry Mr. Collins, but that it would have not been a good match because she would have quickly realized he is an idiot and would not be as patient or manipulative (in a good way) as Charlotte Lucas to manage him. In the book, she is the only one impressed by his initial letter, saying it was "well expressed." But by the time he leaves, she still likes him, but already sees that he is not a match for her intellectually: "She [Mary] rated his abilities much higher than any of the others: there was a solidity in his reflections which often struck her; and though by no means so clever as herself, she thought that, if encouraged to read and improve himself by such an example as hers, he might become a very agreeable companion." Mary would have quickly realized that the ONLY example Mr. Collins follows is Lady Catherine's and it would have annoyed her to no end.

[@TudorSmith]

Absolutely. Collins had one motive and that was to please Lady Catherine. It’s as if he came looking for a trophy wife.

[@LB-gz3ke]

I agree completely. Charlotte knew what she was getting. She was practical and clever enough to go in eyes open and figure out ways to make things work. Mary would have either shrunk and gone to a corner to be on her own, or subtly bullied him in an effort to fix him. Collins definitely did better with Charlotte. She was just present enough and gentle enough with him to keep him happy.

[@womba68]

the biggest disservice every adaptation does mary bennet is they make her an embarrassingly incompetent musician despite the fact that the novel tells us that she plays more than twice as well as elizabeth. the only time i've seen her playing to the standard elizabeth is allowed to is right at the end of the old hollywood movie.

[@marilynsobel7414]

Austen herself portrays Mary as someone technically skilled, but pedantic and affected in her execution. As in so many other things, Mary sees herself as more superior than she actually is (for example, she sees herself as cleverer than Mr. Collins). Austen says, "Elizabeth, easy and unaffected, was listened to with much more pleasure, though not playing half so well." During the infamous scene at the ball, the reactions of the listeners suggest that they do not enjoy her music. Both Elizabeth and her father are eager to stop her. I also feel like we see Elizabeth playing rather badly in the scene at Rosings, where she seems to pick out the music carefully and slowly. I always wondered if she started to practice more after that; perhaps she was a bit embarrassed. She was much better at Pemberley!

[@TudorSmith]

Yes it's strange but I wonder of it was scripted that way to show her character because we do see her playing piano a number of times at Longbourne.

[@rowanaforrest9792]

@@marilynsobel7414 Mary may have been more skilled at the piano, but her musical taste was dull and her playing lacked emotional appeal. Was she a good singer in the book?

[@braemtes23]

I agree. Mary was technically very proficient, but they show her pounding on the piano like someone with no musical ability. I think they did this because the producers did not believe the audience sophisticated enough to know the difference. It was unfair to Mary's character.

[@outsideofenough6466]

I think she was technically proficient, but didn’t play with true feeling. I always thought that at the Netherfield ball, it was her singing and not her playing that was cringeworthy.

[@kimp7160]

I've always read Mary as solely pursuing the intellectual studies because she wasn't pretty like her sisters so she wanted to be known as the "accomplished one". She wasn't actually an intellectual nor naturally gifted at the other accomplishments so over-extended herself out of vanity and pride which made her look silly and be a bore. When her prettier sisters were safely married off she was less ashamed to be seen at public events. The book never says she is ugly or outright stupid--just not as pretty or charming as her sisters.

[@vlw4165]

'pursuing the intellectual studies because she wasn't pretty like her sisters so she wanted to be known as the "accomplished one" '--this is my thought also.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

She was just unlucky to be the least pretty of the sisters, and Mr. Bennet includes her in the three silly sisters when speaking to Elizabeth. I guess it's a problem when home schooled, no intellectual rigor.

[@rebellius_9190]

it's always exciting to find a new p&p video when I check your channel love mary, I definitely see some of myself in her. wished you expanded more about her character development

[@kkitao217]

Thank you for your analysis. Very interesting, as always. I think comments in his memoir of her, Jane Austen’s nephew supports your explanation of how she used people she knew: “Some persons have surmised that she took her characters from individuals with whom she had been acquainted. They were so life-like that it was assumed that they must once have lived, and have been transferred bodily, as it were, into her pages. But surely such a supposition betrays an ignorance of the high prerogative of genius to create out of its own resources imaginary characters, who shall be true to nature and consistent in themselves. Perhaps, however, the distinction between keeping true to nature and servilely copying any one specimen of it is not always clearly apprehended. It is indeed true, both of the writer and of the painter, that he can use only such lineaments as exist, and as he has observed to exist, in living objects; otherwise he would produce monsters instead of human beings; but in both it is the office of high art to mould these features into new combinations, and to place them in the attitudes, and impart to them the expressions which may suit the purposes of the artist; so that they are nature, but not exactly the same nature which had come before his eyes; just as honey can be obtained only from the natural flowers which the bee has sucked; yet it is not a reproduction of the odour or flavour of any particular flower, but becomes something different when it has gone through the process of transformation which that little insect is able to effect.”

[@tanyasealark]

My fave depiction of Mary is in Bride and Prejudice. It’s the Hollywood/ Bollywood version. It’s campy and funny and fun. The music of good. It’s full of gorgeous colors and modern. 95 pride and prejudice is always going to be No. 1 for me. I’ve seen most of the films. I don’t know how they always manage to cast a guy you’re not interested in at the beginning, and are head over heels in love with by the end. Thank you for this in depth video on Mary!

[@larhumba4233]

Very interesting analysis however I would add Mary was physically plain, which wasn't a crime to say so then, and also why Mr Collins overlooked her for initially Jane, then Elizabeth upon hearing Jane had the eye of Mr Bingley. Look forward to your next video. The 1995 BBC Adaptation can never be beaten, and stands up today 30 years later. I never tire of watching it. Andrew Davies's script writing was outstanding.

[@rowanaforrest9792]

I do agree, this version of Mary, though brilliantly acted, portrayed her as very plain, and I think Mr. Collins did want a prettier wife with a little wit (though not too much). I think he and Mary wouldn't have been a good match, not because they didn't have enough in common but because they had too much in common. They wouldn't have balanced each other at all and may have gotten on each other's nerves. I also am sure that Mary's social ineptitude would have soon gotten on Laky Catherine's bad side, and Mr. Collins would have seen that as utter disaster. In Charlotte he got exactly what he wanted (pretty but not a Beauty, socially very graceful but not the Life of the Party, intelligent, moral and upright, etc.). Fortunately for Charlotte, Mr. Collins didn't have the capacity to recognize that Charlotte played on his weaknesses to keep him at arm's length while humoring his vanity and making him feel validated.

[@andreaputerschmidt3594]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is definitely worth the watch! I've seen it multiple times and never get tired of it. Go see it! Lily James and Sam Riley as Elizabeth and Darcy are marvellous but I am fond of all the sisters and a wonderful Mr Collins, played by Matt "Dr Who" Smith

[@TudorSmith]

I’m getting a lot of strong recommendations for this 👍

[@pollyparrot9447]

I second that. For one thing it is beautifully filmed. It is also quite funny. My only reservation is that they made Mr Collins sexier than Mr Darcy 😮

[@pamelamason6372]

I was pleased to see that you had posted again. Love your vlogs. Please find the time to do more. They are interesting and everyone can see that you know your stuff and appreciate the work that you put in to make them so very good. Of course, the 1995 is, for me, the best.

[@TudorSmith]

Thank you! I’ve been quite busy trying to build up my other channels so I’ve neglected this channel a bit but I have been considering what videos seem popular and P&P does win through. I have a few more ideas up my sleeve 🤣

[@april1947]

can't imagine why a miniseries would be able to get more into character development than films do. It's almost like they're different forms of storytelling.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

It is the length of time devoted to the story and characters. In a film you have to keep the audience's attention over 120 minutes. Mini series go on for hours over all.

[@stephtaglianetti]

She was being sarcastic, haha!​@@Ponto-zv9vf

[@Cherjer113]

P+p+zombies is a delightful, funny, often strange adaptation. I cannot recall Mary in it, but I do recommend watching it (with an open mind..it’s parody after all)

[@TudorSmith]

I’ll see where it’s streaming. I have a few subscriptions.

[@Melshed]

I agree! As an adaptation it’s quite ridiculous. But as a parody it’s plain fun! I enjoyed all the quotes from Austen’s other books.

[@EGChurchofChrist]

0ne of my favorite characters. I'd like to think she meets a nice young cleric😊

[@JAShiro-tz1ki]

I remember hearing that Jane Austen speculated that Mary ended up with a Clark that worked in her uncle Philips' office.

[@DMRoper1]

I like Mary Bennett despite her character flaws. I understand her. She isn't selfish, cruel and self-centered. Lydia on the other hand is awful. I can't stand her one bit in the book or on film. And Charlotte, I love her. She is one of my favourite characters in the book. She knows a good opportunity when she sees it, despite the costs. She will inherit Longbourn in the end.😁

[@TudorSmith]

It’s a great story and well thought out.

[@raynadelasal1365]

But she can’t inherit anything. She would end up just like Mrs. Bennett in the end.

[@AurinneA]

​@raynadelasal1365 Yes, possibly.There's also no reason to assume she won't have a son and will be looked after in comfort all her life (for that matter, she may not even outlive Mr Collins). She is also presumably better at managing a household and may be able to ensure she provides for herself somewhat (obviously that's just speculation). Also, she will end up in close proximity to her maternal family, which could be an extra source of security if necessary.

[@judithstrachan9399]

I’m sure that Charlotte would prevent Mr Collins from overspending as Mr Bennet has during his daughters’ lives. Depending on when they inherit Longbourn, she might, even if the estate is still entailed & she remains childless, end up with quite a reasonable nest-egg on which to live.

[@kimp7160]

@@judithstrachan9399 I am pretty sure the book strongly hints that Charlotte is pregnant. They wouldn't have outright announced it but I think Mr Collins mentions it in one of his letters near the end.

[@marelicainavokado]

I also believe Mary and Collins would have made a perfect couple since they're both unromantic and awkward, but he didn't pick her as his potential wife simply because she's the least attractive sister. Collins is still a man.

[@jilliandiamond3358]

Trying to picture Mary dealing with Lady Catherine on a daily basis. She would be a poor choice in that regard. But at least she could use the piano in Mrs. Jenkinson's room.

[@yon8378]

But Charlotte is no beauty either!

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

I think Mary quite romantic, it just isn't men in regimentals or huge estates or pretty boys, more a man of substance and intelligent.

[@melenatorr]

I love Marsha Hunt's Mary in the 1940 adaptation: she has a sweet, naive quality, and the script treats her more gently than most adaptations, and the source material do; Hunt had a naturally good singing voice, and she gets to grace that gift to Mary in the very last minutes of the movie. Although it's probably the least accurate adaptation, it's my favorite: it's the only one that makes me smile and enjoy from start to finish; Edmund Gwenn and Mary Boland work together beautifully; there will never be a Caroline Bingley like the wonderful Frieda Inescourt; Greer Garson understands Lizzie in a generous and lilting way; and, for me, Melville Cooper, complete with his own little motif, is my favorite Mr. Collins. The departure from text is more understandable when you read in the credits that the screenplay is taken from a stage play adaptation, so we're getting the story rather thirdhand.

[@NightOwl701]

I am another that sees the 1995 version as the best and I see them when I read the book.

[@Ponto-zv9vf]

The book is an old fashioned read which is why I prefer the screen adaptations.

[@rooo358]

I always enjoy your Pride and Prejudice videos, Tudor! Thank you ☺️☺️

[@TudorSmith]

Glad you like them!

[@michaelodonnell824]

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is WELL worth watching. I went in with extremely low expectations. I was released when movies were going through a Zombie phase which I did not love. Further while I loved the book and especially the 1995 adaptation, I seriously dislike the 2005 adaptation (the Pig wandering through the kitchen turned me right off!). But I found that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was an enjoyable watch, even if it required checking-in one's knowledge of the book before watching. I is really good fun and the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy is quite well done...

[@pamelamason6372]

Has anyone read ‘The Other Bennet Sister’ by Janice Hadlow? It is an interesting book and we see Mary develop and mature. Won’t say more as I don’t want to spoil it.

[@No_One507]

Thank you! I'll check it out. I've always been curious about Mary, because I used to be a studious, awkward teenager myself.

[@Deborah-y5o]

I believe in the 1995 version that Mr Collins attention was drawn to the prettiest Bennett sisters. There seems to be a detectable leer in Mr Collins demeanor. He then chooses Charlotte because perhaps the youngest Bennett sisters were perhaps too young and didn't command the social graces that would get Lady Catherine's blessing. Poor Mary didn't shine enough at all to get Mr Collins ' attention. Also, the subtle lecherous advances made him all the more repulsive. In the end, Charlotte became an acceptable compromise.

[@bradrushing5959]

I think very similarly. Mary simply wasn't as pretty as Elizabeth. ~ Heather ~

[@elizabethbrown8859]

Would love to hear your take on Wickham and Collins. I always wondered what Wickham's game was pursuing Lydia.

[@TudorSmith]

I think it’ll be interesting putting those videos together 👍

[@gusmonster59]

Money. Had he properly pursued her, he would have received a dowry. He would also be welcome to live at the estate and have a social push upward by association with the Bennets.

[@judithstrachan9399]

@@gusmonster59, I disagree. I believe he wanted sex & nothing else, & she was willing. He certainly had no intention, imo, of marrying her until the price was right.

[@GigiRulesTheRoost]

Every time I watch the 1995 version I look around at the people that were in scenes behind the main characters being filmed. Last time I noticed Mary and Mr. Collins standing and chatting while there was a dance going on in front of them. I can't remember who was dancing and who was being featured. It may have been Bingley and Jane. Oh well, as I watched them chat I wondered what they may have been talking about. Also noticed Mary talking to Jane as they went over the bridge into town with Mr. Collins and Lizzie behind them. I always see something new every time I watch.

[@JAShiro-tz1ki]

Initially I thought Collins and Mary would have suited each other well. Over the past year my mind has changed. I believe it was Charlotte who told Elizabeth that Jane should show Bingley more affection and secure him now because even if their tempers are so much alike now that after marriage they will soon grow unalike. If Marry was interested in Collins, she could have walked with him into Merytin the day her sisters met Wickham. The sense I get it that she respected him enough to consider a possible Marrage, but wasn't romantically interested. Collins never gave her the time of day nor did she him. Charlotte, on the other hand, saw a chance and threw herself in Collins way. Marrying Collins would have put Mary in the spotlight she so craved; so why didn't she seize the chance? No, I can't ship Mary and Collins. Though it would be entertaining to see them quoting scriptures, religious theologians, and sermons at each other when they got on each other's nerves.

[@kerrytakashi12]

Mary would have made Collins feel loved and important. Two things that Charlotte can never give him. However he is too self involved to know the difference. It would be interesting to see how Austen would have handled a Mary/Collins match. However it was the gossiping Lucas family that got Collins to run with excitement to Lady de Bourgh. I wonder if his goal was to create a controversy or that he was excited to be a true relative of his patroness. Maybe both.

[@bookmouse2719]

In the book it explains that Mary was mortified by being compared by her two beautiful Sisters....one very pretty the other very witty. But she became happier when her Sisters married. I have always enjoyed Marsha Hunt's version of Mary...very humorous.

[@lauriemonasmith2739]

Thanks so much for this video. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to see more like it.

[@TudorSmith]

Thank you. I’m sure I can put a few more together spotlighting a few other characters from P&P.

[@juliamays6203]

The success or failure of a Collins Mary Bennett union would come down to one factor. This being whether or not lady Catherine liked Mary or disliked her. Lady Catherine would expect to lead in all things and I’m not sure that Mary would be willing to be led against her common sense or conscience.

[@sherryd3299]

Hi Tudor, I love your videos especially the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. I agree with all the reasons you have given for the case of Mary and Mr. Collins being a good match. I have one more reason. They are both the same level of physical attractiveness. Let's face it the best Mr. Collins was never going to hook a 10 like Jane. Because Mary had 2 sisters who married great wealth I'm sure she lived a very comfortable life without having to marry a man she didn't love. She probably ended up happier than Charlotte Lucas. Thank you from America.

[@TudorSmith]

Thank you. It’s an interesting observation but no matter what we all think or perhaps see in both of them, Jane Austen had different plans for Collins 😉

[@ГалинаГоглева-к8р]

Мне, сначала, казалось, что Мери и Коллинз подходящая пара. Но потом я поняла, что Мери будет несчастна с этим человеком! Она умная, начитанная девушка, спокойная,выдержанная, а Коллинз "скользкий" человек, который не знает, что такое любовь! Мери не выдержала бы лицемерия и подхалимажа Коллинза. Мне её даже жалко! Мать её не очень любит, младшие сестры смеются над ней. Единственно кто в семье к ней неплохо относятся это отец и старшие сестры! Мне кажется, если её по настоящему полюбят и она полюбит, то откроется красота ее души и характера! Спасибо Вам!

[@5apph1b1u3]

0:09 love that moment! Always makes me smile at Mr. Bingley’s charm and class when Mary runs up to the instrument. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, it’s worth checking out for a bit of fun and Samhain is coming soon!

[@snowgall]

You might enjoy the 2012-2013 webseries adaptation "The Lizzie Bennet Diaries". It's on youtube! All the characters are modernized and American, and it works surprisingly well. Mary (in this version, "cousin Mary") only shows up in a small handful of episodes. She's portrayed as a bit of a goth and a loner, but has a dry acerbic wit too. She is played by Briana Cuoco, who I think was a hidden gem of the series!

[@TudorSmith]

I’ve not seen that. I’ll check it out 👍

[@k.l.8804]

I only recently watched the 1980 version and was positivly surprised 🙂 The production is a bit theatrical as they were at the time but I still enjoyed all the actors in it! The actresses playing the Bennet sisters all felt very age apropriate as well as Mr Collins. I have seen all the adaptations you mention in your video (including the Zombie version 😅) apart from the 40ies one. I liked them all for different reasons but with a slight dislike for the 2005 version and the 1995 one being my top favourite. So I didn’texpect to enjoy the 1980 one as much as I did, its up in the top now slightly competing for number one with the 95 one actually! 😅 Never thought I would say that! I think I actually like the 1980 Mary more I’m sorry to say. She is slightly more comedic and have less focus on piety, but I guess that makes me like her a bit more. Also, I like that she is more accepted and included by the other sisters. The 1995 Mary has a constant frown on her face and is not very likeable at all and feels almost bullied by her sisters. I feel bad for her but also I see why they cant really stand her. I’m not sure she is quite that bad in the book, or is my memory faulty? I guess her role of voicing the pious disingenious people of the time is a valid one, and perhaps that is truer to the Mary Austen wrote. I guess I just prefered her as the more likeable bookish but a bit akward sister in the 1980 one 😅

[@TudorSmith]

I’m definitely going to seek out the DVD 👍

[@lonamanning4610]

Mary Bennet is an iteration of a common stock character of the time, the "female pedant." Yes, she (and Lydia) are used to contrast with the characters of Jane Elizabeth.

[@benabird]

Mr. Collins wanted an attractive wife. And, on Lady Catherine's advice, he also wanted a "useful" one. I can't imagine Mary would have been happy with "her parish and her poultry."

[@gusmonster59]

Actually, Mary would have most likely been happy enough married to Mr. Collins. For Mary, being 'useful' in a religious (parish) setting would have offered her marriage security in a socially acceptable situation - things that are important to Mary.

[@JAShiro-tz1ki]

Mary doesn't have the "useful" skills Lady Catherine meant. Mrs. Bennett confesses that non of her daughters cook. Charlotte has some experience with that.

[@graphiquejack]

I agree. Whatever Mary’s feelings might have been, Collins was clearly only interested in young women who were pretty.

[@FlashBurrito]

The socially awkward may often avoid each other

[@marlahendriksson5286]

1995 BBC TV production is the quintessential adaptation of the book. For a modern take, I highly recommend Bride & Prejudice. A must watch for all P&P fans. Directed by the person as Bend It Like Beckham.

[@waltzingaranel]

Another enjoyable character study. I'll be looking forward to the next video. I appreciate the focus on Mary; I always wondered how she and Kitty fared after the end of the novel. Coincidentally, I was listening to "The Thing about Austen" podcast episode 95: The Thing about Mary's Concerto with guest Dr Lidia Chang. I shall continue reading 'The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennett' by Katherine Cowley to round off my day all about Mary!

[@TudorSmith]

I’m not aware of that book. I’ll seek it out!

[@LusiaEyre]

Mary's existence makes Jane and Elizabeth look like the best middle ground between Mary and Kitty & Lydia, who then end up at the opposite ends of a spectrum. It's also clear from the novel and the free indirect discourse employed that she finds Mr Collins acceptable and potentially teachable to make an agreeable companion (her interest is not based on fond affection). On paper, she and Collins are so alike that surely they would make a good match. BUT I strongly believe that more grounded, rational, and economically-minded Charlotte is the actual better fit. I don't think Mary would thrive so close to Lady Catherine (Charlotte has practice from dealing with her father and is more pragmatic), having to actually run a household from the word 'go' - there is no indication she has any useful skills. She reads but can not form an opinion. She plays but is not the favourite to listen to. I can not see her taking charge of budgeting and planning meals and shopping lists at the cost of practising her accomplishments.

[@AurinneA]

Yes. I totally agree. I've never felt that Mary would thrive in that environment, she's really too naive, inexperienced and socially unaware. If there was genuine mutual love or real affection, it would be one thing, but as a mere convenient match, Charlotte is better equipped.

[@rooo358]

I agree with you. I think Mary and Mr Collins appear a good match at a first glance, but when you actually try to picture them living as husband and wife all I see is them both trying to lecture the other and frustrating one another in their attempts to do so! Whereas you can imagine Charlotte allowing Collins to rattle away to her on the basis that she’s most likely only half listening and is employed doing something far more interesting and useful (like running the house!) which, as you say, Mary doesn’t seem as competent in - certainly during the time of the novel, no doubt upon maturing she’d be a perfectly competent manager of the house, but not quite yet!

[@madiantin]

Such a fabulous video! Thank you!

[@TudorSmith]

You are so welcome!

[@graphiquejack]

I think in the 95 series, it’s clear that Mary might have entertained hope of Collins being interested in her, in considering all the Bennett girls, he probably found her quite plain. He first sets his sight on Jane, then Lizzie, the only two sisters with both beauty and sense. Collins, like most men then and now, was swayed in large part by the girls’ looks. As for Marry as a character, I feel like Austen is using her as one extreme of ‘unsuitable’ women because she is pompous and a pseudo intellectual, but in reality is really quite unintelligent, unaccomplished and awkward. On the other extreme are Kitty and Lydia who are loud, petty, foolish and.. shall we say… too flirtatious. Jane is the ‘model’ woman… pretty, quiet, humble, patient and obidient… but as a character, is rather insipid and dull. Lizzy may not be as conventionally pretty as Jane nor as demure and kind, but she is smarter, livelier and as a character, more intriguing and entertaining. Basically, we need Mary on one end and Kitty and Lydia on the other to show how much more better Jane and Elizabeth are as suitable partners, plus the three supporting sisters are needed to both embarrass Lizzie in front of Darcy and with Lydia, at least, to further the drama of the story.

[@kimp7160]

Ah, finally someone who sees Mary the same way that I do and I believe the '95 adaptation does as well. I know most of us Austen fans feel awkward and overlooked like Mary and often share her hobbies but we can't really project ourselves too much onto her. Though I do often feel I am nowhere near as smart as I like to fancy myself. Reading Mary's character is a reminder to keep myself humble about any sort of academic things I may be interested in. I agree that Austen was using her to show the other end of the 'unsuitable' spectrum. But Austen does treat her as human. You can understand why she'd be desperate to be seen as an intellectual when her sisters are so pretty and her own looks don't compare--especially when she has no dowry to back that up. Maybe if her father had set something aside and given her a proper education she wouldn't have been so insufferable. What skills she did have would be finely honed and she would have a decent fortune to find someone well suited for her. Not being as pretty wouldn't have matter as much. The key though, is she didn't have the innate character like Jane and Elizabeth had to overcome her setbacks of situation. Jane and Elizabeth also had no dowry nor formal education yet still had enough accomplishments that they could show themselves well in society and the discipline and self-control required for proper manners. Also, they were just naturally charming. That always helps.

[@kasdnkol]

Please watch Pride and Predjudice and Zombies. It's not the best movie you'll ever see by far, but you'll get some laughs out of how they adapt the story to an alternate Earth where zombies (and zombie hunting) are commonplace. I loved how the admiration people express for each other is less about beauty and wit and more about their capacity for violence.

[@TudorSmith]

I’ll definitely seek it out 👍

[@judithstrachan9399]

I agree. I hate violence & gore in movies, but watched it because Matt Smith (my favourite Doctor) was in it & I was glad I did. Matt achieved the seemingly impossible: he made Mr Colin’s likeable!

[@downtherabbithole1353]

Great analyses, i think you're right, Mary and Mr Collins have a lot in common By the way isn't David Bamber brilliant as Mr Collins? Can't get enough of P&P 1995 version.

[@TudorSmith]

Yes David Bamber owned the role and made the character his own. Having seen him appear in a few other things and seeing him act kind of the same way, I’m wondering if his own personality is evident in Mr Collins, making it easy for him to play the part 🤣

[@marilynsobel7414]

@@TudorSmith Please do a Mr. Collins video! I love the 1995 version and think it is perfectly cast, but I suppose I could imagine another wonderful Elizabeth or Mr. Darcy. But I can't believe there will ever be a better Mr. Collins. David Bamber is the Platonic ideal!

[@bcent5758]

I think she is there to show that Mary and Lydia are two opposite extremes both lacking self awareness in different ways. Lizzie falls in the middle of all the girls characters.

[@missioncardiac7599]

In one point the 1995 adaptation shortchanged Mary. Austen describes her as a technically correct pianist, in fact better than Elizabeth, but lacking in in the playfulness that made Elizabeth more pleasing to listen to. In the adaptation Elizabeth is aware of her shortcomings (though Darcy is happy to look past them), but I feel Mary is a bit hard done by.

[@b.gauthier8610]

It's the 1995 TV series that actually suggested that Mary & Mr. Collins could have been a good match. The novel itself only puts such an idea in Mrs. Bennett's matchmaking mind for her daughters. Jane and Elizabeth being excluded, the two younger daughters being way too "wild" for Mr. Collins, there only remained Mary. The one thing Mary allowed in her comments about Mr. Collins was "a solidity in his reflections". She considered herself his superior as to cleverness. Considering her situation in life, of course, Mary could have been "prevailed on to accept him", out of necessity to be married - just like Charlotte.

[@susanmercurio1060]

Well, Elizabeth described Mr Collins as "the stupidest man in England." Mary probably was more intelligent than him.

[@TudorSmith]

Yes Andrew Davies probably wrote it in to flesh out the characters but Jane Austen had different plans so the whole idea of Mary seeing Mr Collins as her potential husband (at least in the 1995 adaptation) is probably a bit of poetic licence!

[@s.h.741]

Mary Bennet and Fanny Price have a lot in common. Both are neglected and overlooked, but Fanny has the advantage of Edmund's guidance and friendship. She could have easily been depicted as a moralizing, awkward character without life experience; like Mary, she takes most of her wisdom from books, not real life. Both Fanny and Mary are outsiders, surrounded by sister pairs that exclude her. Maria and Julia Bertram never accept Fanny as an equal, while Jane and Elizabeth on the one hand, Kitty and Lydia on the other, don't need and don't want Mary. Jane, so universally kind, comes close to mocking Mary at least twice in the 1995 adaptation (the potato scene you showed and when she sends Mr Collins to Mary because of a question of "great doctrinal impact"). Without a champion within the family unit, overlooked by her parents and suffering by comparison with her more sparkling sisters, Mary is a foil for each of them. She's the middle sister and actually quite a sad character. Maybe Jane Austen wrote Fanny's earnest, awkward, and often naive character with Mary Bennet in mind? She gave Fanny warmth, gentleness, and Edmund's reliable friendship to develop those qualities. I find your videos highly interesting and hope there will be many more to come!

[@TudorSmith]

I’m not too familiar with Jane Austen’s work other than seeing the other productions maybe once. P&P seems to stick in my brain. I almost live it daily quoting some of those wonderful lines. I really must give the other works more attention 👍

[@Didleeios88]

The sister dynamics you write of are interesting. Mary doesn't have a pair. I have speculated that Mary is trying to be like Lizzie. She has seen how her father favors Lizzie and is trying unsuccessfully to win her father's affection. She misunderstands that intelligence and book smarts are not the same. She is trying her hardest to be smart. I think we see a similar dynamic with Kitty trying to emulate Lydia who is her mother's favorite. She follows Lydia's lead like a lapdog but Mrs Bennet really likes Lydia for her looks and recklessness which remind her of herself. Kitty just comes off as whiney. Both Mary and Kitty are followers trying to be someone they are not. I am sympathetic to them. This is one of the side effects of having immature parents.